Serendipitous Musings

I have been a student ever since I can remember and summer vacations, have always been a part of my life. In school, it was always about visits to grandma and loads of holidays homework and an outstation trip with family. This routine continued for 15 years of schooling. In college, summers meant reading books, attending events around Delhi which catered to literature, poetry, art, theatre, and music. There were friends who used to do internships to build their CVs while I was happy sitting in my AC room reading one book in one day and consuming huge amounts of cold coffee and well, getting fat. One summer I got so fat that I had to go to the gym next summer. Anyhow, coming to the summer of learning.

Summer 2017

It was compulsory for masters students to do an internship during the summers. When this announcement was made, I was distraught. I was so upset that I gave up all hope of having a good summer in March only while the semester was still on and then there was this Internship hunt. I am so glad that I did not have to suffer to get an internship, I got an interview scheduled through college placement cell and when the interview happened, I was so relieved because the first interview of my life went amazingly not because I was amazing, well I was good enough but my interviewers were such beautiful happy people. I knew for a fact that if I get lucky to land up with an internship here, my summers are going to be just perfect and guess what, I did get lucky.

These two months of summer have been so enriching that no words can do proper justice. Here’s a tribute to each of the person I have had the pleasure of working with. I will first start with our Director of the Company, Dr. Kamal Vatta.

Dear Kamal Sir,

No words will ever be enough to deliver the amount of gratitude I have towards you. You have been a fantastic teacher and each and every discussion with you has been full of wisdom and laughter and such a combination is rare to find. With you, I have learned to enjoy the work and work did not seem like work. Every morning when I used to wake up, I was excited to come to the office because of this constant feeling “What is new today.” Thank you so much, sir, for everything, from lunches to software classes to giving us the freedom to experiment and come up with new things. So much gratitude.

Dear Sandeep Sir,

I would like to thank you for your wonderful insights and quirky jokes that brought smiles every day. Your stories and characterization of people whom you have met are so beautiful. It is your stories and bringing ideas from the stories for the work is awe inspiring. Your constant guidance and that faith you show in our experiments are to die for. Thank you so much, Sir.

Dear Shweta,

Our interactions have been less but each of them was pretty. I think I have had more fun with you because you are the similar kind of crazy as I am but just a little less. Those golgappas and singing in the office kitchen moments are something I will cherish for a long time. And thank you for the lovely book.

Dear Ashish, Parisha, Priya, Himanshi, Surya Sir,

Conversations after 5.30, and those walks to the metro station full of jokes and laughter are things to remember that will bring a smile as I sit next year on the same WordPress blog to analyze my next summer.

Dear Garima,

Even though we did not get much time, I have had some wonderful conversations with you in the beginning which I will cherish. All the best for your new life in a new city.

And I cannot forget Dubey ji, who always took care of my caffeine needs.

Last but definitely not the least, my internship and college mates,

Shilpi, Kumkum, Vibha, Sanya

Guys, working with you has been so much fun. This bonding which we have developed is here to stay. Thank you so much.

And that’s about the Internship Diaries.

Now coming to unimportant things I am productive at,

Sunday Book Market, Dariyaganj check

Book launch attended check

Theatre event attended check

Poetry event attended check

BYD’s Mac and Cheese check

Movie screening at IHC check

Meeting my lovely friends check

Reading all day check.

Well, it has been a summer of learning where I attended so many events, read so many research papers, to be precise I read 67 and I also developed a habit of reading academic magazines. So all in all, it was the best summer of my life. Thanks to everyone involved.

And how can I forget mom and dad, and bhai. They put up with my nautanki while I was off social media for the summer.